You grew up in the hills and then moved on to Bombay to start your writing career. Can you comment on the changes this shift brought about in your life? A1) I grew up between Nainital and Simla and New Delhi, and then spent some wonderful years in Mumbai when it was still Bombay. Jaipur means so much to me as well. Cities change and transform, and as the people who represent the city move on, it changes perspective too. Delhi has been the long constant in my life and that is in a sense the place where I feel a continued sense of family and belonging.
You are perceived as one of the torch bearers of modern contemporary Indian writing. Can you share some highlights from your literary journey? A2) I studied literature and was always deeply interested in contemporary voices in Indian language literature. I was not the editor but the publisher and owner of the film magazine ‘Super’ - I enjoyed that immensely and it left me with an abiding interest in publishing.
When it was published in 1984, Paro caused much social consternation within India. Can you share some readers’ responses over your debut novel? A3) I think the shock over my debut novel ‘Paro - Dreams of Passion’ is somewhat exaggerated with the passage of time. It amused and entertained readers, and many of them appreciated it’s literary qualities as well. They did wonder how a traditional upper middle class housewife had presumed to write it. ‘Paro’ has remained continuously in print since it was first published in 1984 and represents a sort of watershed in style and voice, especially from women writers.
Your writing reflects India’s contemporary social reality, what impact has your writing had on the patriarchal mindset and gender based issues in India?
A4) I don’t claim to represent any particular ideology or gender position. I write about people who interest me, often about strong women, about the strength of women. It can be interpreted in any way. However, the book which I feel did have a long and lasting impact was the anthology ‘In Search of Sita’ which I co-edited with Malashri Lal.
You grew up surrounded by a privileged set of friends and family. How do you successfully understand and intricately sketch out the varied set of characters and personalities in your writing? A5) I’ve not been quite as privileged as you may imagine. Also, I have friends from different situations, not from just ‘people like us.’ And, like most writers, I am observant and take in a lot.
There is a tectonic shift in the process by which humans absorb information and stories nowadays. Do you think the world of books, the printed word on paper, is heading towards oblivion?
A6) I certainly don’t think books are heading to oblivion. Books have always reached out to book lovers, and there are others who absorb knowledge and information and entertainment through other means, as they always have done. Those choices are equally valuable and valid.
Having founded a film magazine, you went on to author several books, can you comment on the symbiotic relationship between the written word and cinema? A7) As the publisher of a film magazine, I had respect for popular culture, which I continue to have. But I rarely watch films or television, although we do programme a lot around that at JLF.
You are a Writer, a Festival Director and a home maker, which aspect of your life do you enjoy at this point in your life? A8) These are all very different aspects of life. Being a writer involves patience, discipline and the solitary pursuit of a theme. I am a co-director ofJLF with William Dalrymple and also interact continuously with Sanjoy Roy and his colleagues at Teamwork. I am also a part of a large joint family. All these aspects of my life are important to me.
What encouraged you and your partners towards organising a Literature Festival in the first place and why did you choose Jaipur as a venue for the festival?
A9) It happened by serendipity and accident and because it was meant to happen. A small literary festival at Jaipur just assumed a life and momentum of its own. Our festival belongs to the world now, and it has editions in London, Belfast, Houston, New York, Boulder Colorado, Toronto, Adelaide , Doha....Literature is a part of life and of the human situation. Yet the heart of the festival will always be Jaipur .
The virtual JLF 2021 will be featured this month. What are your plans for the future editions of the Jaipur Literature Festival?
A10) The festival lives and resides in the hearts and minds of our engaged audiences, it has been a cerebral as well as emotive experience for them. The virtual editions of the festival have managed to retain this spirit. The programme of JLF 2021 is now up, and we will be live mid February. About the future, let’s see how things evolve and where the path takes us.
Ajay Singha – Thank you for your kind responses to my questions. Once the pandemic is finally over we would like to host a talk by you in Jaipur, both as a renowned writer and a co-producer of the JLF. We do hope it takes place well before the 2022 edition of JLF.
The Jaipur Literature Festival is described as the ‘greatest literary show on Earth’ and the past decade has seen it transform into a global literary phenomenon. Around 2000 speakers welcomed over a million book lovers from across India and the globe during the decade.
The annual festival brings together a diverse mix of the world’s greatest writers, thinkers, humanitarians, politicians, business leaders, sports people and entertainers on one stage to champion the freedom to express and engage in thoughtful debate and dialogue. Dictated by a devastating pandemic, the world went into an unprecedented lockdown forcing the digital medium to take up the task of ensuring a continuous flow of communication.
The list of speakers for JLF 2021 (19-28 February) online edition include Albie Sachs, a distinguished lawyer, anti-apartheid activist, scholar & author; Bibek Debroy, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister; Carlo Rovelli, renowned theoretical physicist and bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and The Order of Time; Daniel Simpson, Yoga philosopher & author of author of The Truth of Yoga, a comprehensive guide to the history of practice; John Zubrzycki, an Australian journalist, researcher and author of The House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of India's Most Glamorous Royal Family; Marina Wheeler, British lawyer, author, columnist and a Queen's Counsel; Michael Sandel, American political philosopher.
The list continues with Moin Mir, author of Surat: Fall of a Port, Rise of a Prince: Defeat of the East India Company in the House of Commons, which traces the annexation of Surat; Moni Mohsin, writer based in London, famous for writing long running satirical column 'The Diary of a Social Butterfly' for The Friday Times; Navtej Singh Sarna, an Indian author-columnist, diplomat and former Indian Ambassador to the United States; Oliver Craske, author of the biography Indian Sun: The Life and Music of Ravi Shankar; Prasoon Joshi, celebrated Indian poet, writer, lyricist and screenwriter; Priya Atwal, Historian of empire, monarchy & cultural politics in Britain and India.
They will be joined by Ramachandra Guha, eminent Indian author, historian and biographer; Ranjit Hoskote, Indian poet, art critic, cultural theorist and independent curator; Sarbpreet Singh, author of The Camel Merchant of Philadelphia and Night of the Restless Spirits; Shylashri Shankar, author of Scaling Justice: India’s Supreme Court, Anti-Terror Laws and Social Rights; Simon Winchester, New York Times best-selling author of The Professor and the Madman; Stephen Louis Brusatte, an American paleontologist and evolutionary biologist, who specializes in the anatomy and evolution of dinosaurs; TCA Raghavan, former Indian diplomat.
Interested participants must register online https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org
